COLLINSVILLE — In a tightly packed 1,600-meter race that showcased some of Illinois’ top distance runners, Gillespie’s Chaz Oberkfell won Saturday, May 9, 2026, at the Collinsville Boys Track and Field Invitational, edging Normal Community’s A.J. Ince and Civic Memorial’s Max Weber on May 9, 2026.
The 1,600-meter field included multiple standout runners, including Oberkfell and Weber, who were both state cross country champions this past fall. The front of the race remained close as Oberkfell, Ince, Weber, O’Fallon runner Bryaden Kloeppel, Edwardsville’s Colin Thomas, and Edwardsville’s Cooper Wittek battled for position.
Oberkfell finished first in 4 minutes, 18.66 seconds. Ince was second in 4:19.04, and Weber placed third in 4:20.89. Kloeppel took fourth in 4:22.81, and Thomas was fifth in 4:27.02.
Jack Mahoney of Lutheran (St. Charles) finished sixth, followed by Mt. Vernon’s Joel Hayes in seventh in 4:30.18. Wittek placed eighth in 4:30.88, Dieterich’s Trevor Crutcher was ninth in 4:31.0, and Springfield’s Alexander Ratz rounded out the top 10 in 4:35.15.
Highland’s Joshua Knobloch placed 13th in 4:38.14. Mascoutah’s Chris White was 16th in 4:42.23, and Civic Memorial’s Logan Kearbey finished 17th in 4:44.63. Maryville Christian’s Chase Lading took 22nd in 4:48.76.
Triad’s Carter Rich was 27th in 4:58.49. East Alton-Wood River’s LeBron Reed ran 4:59.33, and Belleville East’s Keenan Miksell placed 29th in 4:59.80. Mascoutah’s Jacob Martell finished 30th in 4:59.93, and Triad’s Grant Jaros was 32nd in 5:05.06.
East St. Louis’ Robert Harris placed 37th in 5:09.88. Maryville Christian’s Jack Donald was 41st in 5:18.62, and Belleville East’s Theron Forrest finished 43rd in 5:27.33. Noah Willeford of East Alton-Wood River was 44th in 5:36.08.
Granite City’s Trevor Rippee placed 46th in 5:37.77, followed by teammate Lucas Cooley in 47th in 5:38.77. Collinsville runners Benjamin Woodbury and Nathan Huerta finished 50th and 51st in 6:05.45 and 6:13.67.
The 1,600-meter race was contested in three heats, and the meet’s results included some of the best times in a single 1,600-meter race in the state this season, with sectional and state competition approaching.
